


Reunion

by Inquisitorkira



Series: Tempest [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Blood Magic, Elvish, M/M, Past relationship mention, mentioned minor character death, romance mention, violence mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2018-03-19 19:49:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3622101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inquisitorkira/pseuds/Inquisitorkira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inquisitor Armet Lavellan gets word from his clan that the keeper has been kidnapped and he fears that the culprit is his ex-lover. Angst, with some fluff. But mostly angst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reunion

Dorian awoke in the dead of night with a grumble and pushed at the elbow jabbed into his back. “Really, darling, some of us need our beauty sleep.” He turned to face the elf who was now lying on his back, frowning at the ceiling. “But I guess I’ve had enough of it because I’m gorgeous.” He forced a smile in his sleepy state, but Armet stayed in his trance. Dorian sighed, giving up. Obviously he wasn’t getting anymore sleep tonight. “Amatus?” He asked, voice softening. “Well come on, tell me what’s wrong. You must have a bloody good reason for wrestling about like that and waking me.” Finally, a small smile formed on his face but Armet still didn’t look at Dorian.  
“I’m sorry for waking you.”  
“Oh don’t mind that.” Dorian propped himself up on an elbow, concern forming in the pit of his stomach. “Now get on with it.”  
Armet sighed, a sad sound that made the breath catch in Dorian’s throat.  
“Have I ever told you, I wasn’t supposed to be a mage?”  
“What, really?” Dorian was genuinely surpised at that, though he didn’t see why that would upset him.  
“When I received my Vallaslin, I was given the mark of Dirthamen, the god of secrets.”  
“So you were supposed to, what, spy on people?”  
Armet’s laugh was so slight Dorian almost didn’t hear. “In a way, yes. I was supposed to keep watch from the trees, warn the others of danger.” The elf closed his eyes and frowned thoughtfully. “ I was absolute rubbish at being… stealthy.” Dorian chuckled and draped an arm around Armet’s slender shoulders in reassurance. The elf reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers but kept his gaze to the ceiling. “Then one day, I was out in the woods, trying to take down a deer with an arrow. I got so frustrated, I broke the bow and lashed out at the poor beast. A burst of lightning struck it in the side and it fell over, dead. It took me a while to realize that the lightening had come from me.” Dorian smoother his palm over Armet’s arm, remembering the first time he had displayed magic ability. He doubted Armet’s clan were as proud as Dorian’s parents had been. He frowned at the thought. “The keeper decided to train me and, as you are aware, I eventually became very adept at storm magic. So adept in fact that I became her First.”  
“As much as I enjoy hearing about your past, I doubt this is what’s been worrying you.”  
“Right.” Armet glanced at him for a moment, squeezing his hand. “Sorry.” Dorian smiled at him gently, to let him know it was alright, and waited quietly for him to continue.  
“The Keeper already had a first- Hewen.” He swallowed the name like a curse. “But when I surpassed him in skill he became the Second. I guess… I guess he was rather cross about this but I was too naive to notice. We spent a lot of time together, the two of us. I thought…” The hand around Dorian’s clenched, nails digging into his skin, and he tried his best not to complain. “I became smitten. Foolishly so. I thought he felt the same. Then I found him in the deep of the woods experimenting on some of the young girls in our clan. It was horrendous, there was blood magic among other unspeakable things and he begged me not to, but I ran back to the Keeper, I told her everything. I betrayed him.” Dorian could hear tears in his voice. Anger began to grow in Dorian’s heart. “And when the keeper banished him, the last thing he said was… was he always had hated me the most.” The tears were shining in his eyes now, and Dorian could think of nothing to say, so he held him closer. Armet cleared his throat. “I found a letter on my desk today, from the new First of my clan.” Armet shifted, facing Dorian, green eyes dim and puffy. “The keeper is missing.”  
“What? How-“  
“She suspects that Hewen has her.”  
Dorian’s heart sunk, but he swallowed the dread blooming in his throat. “What does she want from you? To send forces?”  
“She does. But,” Armet looked down at his hand, clenching and unclenching it. “I want to- I need to go myself.”  
Dorian felt his mouth go dry. Armet looked up at him with pleading eyes, guessing his thoughts. “I know our focus is Corephyus and I can’t afford to be distracted like this. And I know it dangerous, Dorian, but I-“  
“Take me with you.”  
“What?”  
Dorian reached for his face, cupping a pale cheek in a dark hand. “You heard me. If you’re set on this, I’m going to be there, watching your back.” He wiped away a tear with the back of his hand. “Besides, I find I rather like the view from behind you.” Armet grinned, eyes glistening as he reached for Dorian and kissed him softly on the mouth.  
“Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome.” Dorian grinned back. “Now please try to get some sleep, Amatus, or I will be very cross with you in the morning.” Armet smiled and rolled over on his side. Dorian lay awake until he was sure the elf had fallen asleep. 

Armet was very particular in who he chose to accompany himself and Dorian on this mission. He hadn’t even divulged to his inner circle where it was they were going and why. It was better that way, he thought. This had to go right, or as right as it could go. He was fairly certain they were walking into a trap. The letter was worded strangely, as if forced. It was plausible that Hewen was trying to get his personal attention. Or perhaps he was over thinking this. He shared none of this with Dorian, and that he regretted but he didn’t want to worry him.  
He settled on bringing Cassandra and Varric along with Dorian and himself. Iron Bull was too large- his rustling could be heard in the trees miles away. Vivinne was busy with one thing or another, and Solas despised the Dalish, though he was sure that two mages were plenty and wouldn’t need their help. He didn’t completely trust Blackwall, perhaps because he didn’t understand him. Cole would frighten the Dalish. He had considered bringing Sera- the two of them had actually grown quite close- but he was fairly certain that if Sera saw Hewen, she would immediately shoot him through the head, and he couldn’t have that.  
So here they were, two humans, a Dalish elf, and a dwarf, trudging through the woods, looking for trouble. Cassandra leaned up against a tree, catching her breath. “What is it we’re looking for, exactly?”  
“A cave.” Armet said swiftly.  
“How do you know that’s where the Keeper is?” Varric asked skeptically.  
Armet knew because it was the same cave the two of them would run to to get away from the keeper, to practice magic together and whatever else. It was their special cave, and if Hewen was expecting him, that’s where he would be. But he instead he said simply, “Just a hunch.” Dorian eyed him with concern. Armet felt awful for hiding things from him. But it was necessary. And they were getting close. The clan wasn’t far, but Armet wasn’t planning on seeing them until after he had the Keeper. Seeing them so shaken up would break his heart. He had to bring her back to them.  
Finally, they came to a clearing where the grass grew tall and a halla slept under the shade of a tree. The cave was just ahead. He stopped to catch his breath. Dorian put a hand on his back.  
“Are you alright?”  
“Yes.” But he wasn’t. “It’s just… If I have to… If I have to kill him.”  
“It doesn’t have to come to that.” Dorian answered curtly. “We can take him alive, judge him at skyhold.”  
“Right.” But Armet wasn’t so sure. Still, they continued on. He could feel his heartbeat quickening, pounding in his ears.  
They approached the cave, and a swarm of memories flooded his mind. Good memories, before everything had changed between Hewen and himself. He couldn’t think like that now. I always hated you the most. He let those words burn into his head, motivate him to do what had to be done. They entered the Cave, him taking point with Cassandra on his heels.  
“Keeper Dashana?” The words echoed off the walls. Water dripped from somewhere far off. He called again.  
“Here.” The reply was meek, but nearby. Armet felt his heart leap. It sounded like her.  
“Ready your weapons.” They did, Dorian falling into step beside him. Armet lit a torch with vielfire, the way Solas had taught him, and followed her voice. It didn’t take long to find her.  
“Maker have mercy.” Cassandra gasped, followed by Varrics brief exclaimation of, “Andraste…”  
It was the Keeper, suspended midair by some form of spirit magic. Her limbs were limp at her sides, her head slumped over. A thick bead of blood dripped from her wrist to the ground below. So it was not water he had heard. Anger blossomed in his chest, something he didn’t often feel but now was an animal trying to escape. He rushed to her, but was thrown back by an unseen barrier.  
“Creators- Dashana, who did this? Was it Hewen?”  
The keeper began to sob violently.  
“Dashana-“ footsteps. Armet spun around on his heels. It was him. Older than he remembered, age had not been kind to him, but he still seemed the same. Dark hair hanging in his dark eyes, posture slumped, smirk plastered on his face.  
“Lethallin, how good of you to join us!” Hewen’s deep voice bounced of the walls, clouding Armet’s judgment, distorting his memories. Dorian growled, stepping in from of him and raising his staff.  
“Do not call me that.” The words were hissed through gritted teeth.  
“Why not, are we no longer friends?” He stepped forward, stopped by Varric aiming Bianca at his head. Hewen drew his attention back to Armet, grinning. “Oh, that’s right, you betrayed me. So what does that make us? Enemies?”  
“What did you do to Dashana?”  
Hewen Frowned. “What, not even a hello? Don’t you miss me?”  
“Inquisitor, how do you know this man?” Cassandra called out, trying to put the parts of the story Armet had left out in place.  
“Ooohhhh you didn’t tell them?”  
Armet snarled, lightening flaring on his fingertips. “Do not make me ask a second time!”  
Hewen rolled his eyes, and strode towards the keeper, ignoring the weapons and angry gazes aimed his way. “I am just continuing my experiments from years ago, you remember the ones you so rudely interrupted.”  
“Inquisitor…” Cassandra warned  
“There’s no point keeping it a secret any more Armie, cats out of the bag and all that.”  
Armet didn’t trust himself to move, let alone speak. He let his gaze burn into Hewen but did nothing to stop him.  
“How do you think he knew where to find me, hmm? Why I chose this cave? We had something once Lethallin, something extraordinary that you crushed with your bloody morals and traditions! It wasn’t all about me, you know. My experiments could have benefited the both of us!”  
“Halam Sahlin.”  
Hewen’s laugh echoed in his head. “What was that?”  
“This ends here, Hewen!” The animal inside him was ripping through his chest. “You didn’t care about the clan, or about me, or about anything besides power. Ma’harellan.”  
“You really think so low of me?” Hewen stretched his arms, beckoning Armet to lunge for him. “Then kill me.” Rage sizzled inside him, stretching and ceasing, like a storm growing to a tempest then easing up again. “Go on! Kill me!” Armet did not move. Hewen laughed again. “You can’t can you. You’ve always been soft, Falon, but this is just pathetic.”  
It wasn’t Armet who lunged forward to dig the point of his staff into Hewen’s neck, making him cry out. It was Dorian. “Enough.” He bellowed voice thick with anger. The rage inside Armet churned into terror.  
Hewen was still laughing. “And who are you, his new project?”  
Dorian ignored him. “If we kill him, the spell will be reversed, releasing the keeper.”  
“You sure?” Varric voiced what Armet wanted to ask. Everything was far away, somewhere outside of his head.  
“Yes,” Dorian looked to Armet, asking for permission. “I’m sure.”  
Armet knew he was right. It was the quickest and easiest way to get the job done. Hewen wasn’t going to tell them how to free the keeper. He had to die.  
Did he have to die? Armet Thought about all those memories, good and bad, jumbled together in a mess of anger and fear inside his head, in his heart, and he couldn’t bear it.  
“Inquisitor?” Dorian addressed him formally. Armet realized his knuckles had gone white from the clenching. Dorian was trying to give him a choice he didn’t have. The things you do for the ones you love. It was almost silly, all of it. Armet blinked away the tears and swallowed.  
“Alright.”  
“Do you… do you want to step outside?” Cassandra asked thoughtfully.  
Armet nodded, knowing that it was ok to show weakness, and headed for the entrance of the cave. Hewen’s words darted after him. “Coward! Don’t let them do this! Armet! Lethallin! You bastard, get back here! Don’t-“ The words ceased. And so did something in his heart. Ar’din nuvenin na’din. The old phrase danced inside his mind, and did not dare leave his lips.  
The three of them emerged, with Cassandra supporting the Keeper’s weight. She was in a bad way, but alive, and a healer in the clan would be able to help.  
“Alright.” Armet’s mouth felt foreign against his tongue. “Let’s get Dashana home.”  
Dorian approached him as they walked. “I’m sorry.” He said, reaching for his hand. Armet smiled as well as he could. He knew he could never explain to Dorian how grateful he was for what he had done, but he could try. Armet squeezed his hand gently. “Ir abelas, vhenan.” He said quickly under his breath, then added, “serannas ma melava halani.” He didn’t offer a translation, and Dorain didn’t ask for one. It would not have made his gratitude any more apparent. He would make it up to him, some day, when all of this was over. Dorian did not let go of Armet’s hand until they were far from the clearing. Yes, the elf promised himself, he would make it up to Dorian if it killed him.

**Author's Note:**

> Elvish:  
> Ar'din nuvenin na'din: I don't wish to kill you.  
> Ir abelas, Vhenan, serannas ma melava halani: I am sorry, my heart, thank you you have helped me.  
> Ma'harellan: My betrayer


End file.
